WHO Guideline on Country Pharmaceutical Pricing Policies 1 |1 | ESSENTIAL MEDICINES AND HEALTH...

WHO Guideline on Country Pharmaceutical Pricing Policies1 |

ESSENTIAL MEDICINES AND HEALTH PRODUCTS ESSENTIAL MEDICINES AND HEALTH PRODUCTS

WHO Guideline on Country Pharmaceutical Pricing Policies


AcknowledgementsAcknowledgements

The WHO/HAI Global Working Group on Medicine Price Policy – commissioned background review papers

Dele Abegunde – developed the scoping document

Draft guideline was written by Alexandra Cameron, Suzanne Hill, Patti Whyte and finalized by Sarah Ramsey and Lisa Hedman

The development of these guidelines was supported by a grant of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.


ObjectivesObjectives

o Collate and appraise the available evidence on policies for managing medicine prices

o Based on best evidence and practice and experience develop recommendations for medicine pricing policies in countries

o Publish and disseminate the policy guidelines and recommendations to countries and other stakeholders


Target audience Target audience

Policy- and decision-makers in countries that are considering introducing or revising their strategies for improving access to medicines through appropriate policies to manage prices of medicines.

Decision-makers in countries who are involved in strategic and operation decisions relating to procurement and distribution of medicines or medicines reimbursement decisions in national health insurance schemes.

Donors, development partners and other stakeholders who provide assistance to countries for the development of the pharmaceutical sector and/or the supply of medicines.


Development processDevelopment process

According to the Guidelines Review Committee (GRC)

WHO Steering Committee

Guideline development group (all WHO regions represented)

Evidence retrieval and synthesis:– Several relevant Cochrane systematic reviews were identified– build on the reviews carried out as part of the WHO/HAI project– reflect experiences from a range of countries


Overarching questionsOverarching questions

Should countries use price control measures to manage medicine prices?

Should countries adopt measures to control add-on costs in the supply chain?

Should countries promote the use of quality assured generic medicines as a strategy to manage medicine prices?


General findings and considerationsGeneral findings and considerations

This guideline was developed with consideration to GRADE principles including development of PICO questions,

Systematic reviews of existing literature and consideration of the quality of the evidence

The available evidence did not support the development of functionally useful GRADE tables - majority of the evidence was case descriptions and generally considered low-quality by experts

The recommendations are therefore mainly based on the experience of the Expert Panel (EP) and their review of the qualitative evidence,

The EP noted the need to develop more quantitative evidence for future updates


Recommendations: Recommendations:

Regulation of mark-ups in the pharmaceutical supply and distribution chain

Tax exemptions/reductions for pharmaceutical products

Application of cost-plus pricing formulae for pharmaceutical price setting

Use of external reference pricing

Promotion of the use of generic medicines

Use of health technology assessment


Key definitions:Key definitions:


Tax exemptions/reductions for pharmaceutical products


Use of external reference pricing

Promotion of use of generic medicines

Use of health technology assessment (HTA)


Structure of the document – per recommendationStructure of the document – per recommendation

Definition of policy

Evidence

Findings of the panel

Benefits and downsides

Recommendations

Issues for implementation




A mark-up represents the additional charges and costs that are applied to the price of a commodity in order to cover overhead costs, distribution charges, and profit. In the context of the pharmaceutical supply chain, policies might involve regulation of wholesale and retail mark-ups as well as pharmaceutical remuneration.


Tax exemptions/reductions for pharmaceutical productsTax exemptions/reductions for pharmaceutical products

There are two main categories of tax: direct tax, levied by governments on the income of individuals and corporations, and indirect taxes, added to the prices of goods and services and collected through the businesses that provide them. Direct taxes, along with social security taxes, generally make up about two thirds of total government revenue in high-income countries. In low-income countries, indirect taxes, on international trade or on the purchase of goods and services, are the major sources of government revenue. Policies might involve the reduction of taxes on medicines, or the exemption of medicines from taxes, particularly sales/value-added tax.




Cost-plus pricing is a method for setting retail prices of medicines by taking into account production cost of a medicine together with allowances for promotional expenses, manufacturer’s profit margins, and charges and profit margins in the supply chain.


Use of external reference pricingUse of external reference pricing

External reference pricing (ERP; also known as international reference pricing) refers to the practice of using the price of a pharmaceutical product (generally ex-manufacturer price, or other common point within the distribution chain) in one or several countries to derive a benchmark or reference price for the purposes of setting or negotiating the price of the product in a given country. Reference may be made to single-source or multisource supply products.


Promotion of use of generic medicinesPromotion of use of generic medicines

Generic medicines are produced and distributed without patent protection. Promotion of the use of quality-assured generic medicines is a method of managing pharmaceutical prices. The various approaches used include facilitated market entry of generics, generic substitution by dispensers, ERP, strategies to foster competition in the market, and schemes to encourage use of generics among providers and consumers.


Use of health technology assessment (HTA)Use of health technology assessment (HTA)

The International Network of Agencies for Health Technology Assessment defines HTA as “The systematic evaluation of properties, effects, and/or impacts of health care technology. It may address the direct, intended consequences of technologies as well as their indirect, unintended consequences. Its main purpose is to inform technology-related policymaking in health care. HTA is conducted by interdisciplinary groups using explicit analytical frameworks drawing from a variety of methods.” HTA in relation to pharmaceuticals encompasses evaluations relevant to price setting or pricing policies.


Regulation of mark-ups in the pharmaceutical supply and

distribution chain Regulation of mark-ups in the pharmaceutical supply and

distribution chain

As part of an overall pharmaceutical pricing strategy, countries should consider regulating distribution chain mark-ups (distributors/wholesalers).

As part of an overall pharmaceutical pricing strategy, countries should consider regulating retail chain mark-ups and fees (pharmacies, dispensing doctors, dispensaries).

If mark-ups are regulated, countries should consider using regressive mark-ups (lower mark-up for higher-priced products) rather than fixed percentage mark-ups, given the incentive that the latter provides for higher-priced products to receive a higher net margin.

Countries should consider using remuneration/mark-up regulation to provide incentives for supplying specific medicines (generics, low volume medicines, reimbursable medicines) or to protect specific patients or population groups (e.g., vulnerable groups, remote populations).

In systems where rebates and discounts in the distribution chain occur, countries should consider regulating them and should make them transparent. The information should be taken into account when reviewing and regulating mark-ups and prices.


Tax exemptions/reductions for pharmaceutical products Tax exemptions/reductions for pharmaceutical products

Countries should consider exempting essential medicines from taxation.

Countries should ensure any reductions or exemptions from taxes on medicines have the effect of reducing costs to the patient/purchaser.




Countries generally should not use a cost-plus method as an overall pharmaceutical pricing policy.

Countries using a cost-plus method as an overall policy that wish to change their strategy should consider replacing or complementing the cost-plus approach with other policies, including those covered in this guideline.


Use of external reference pricingUse of external reference pricing

Countries should consider using external reference pricing as a method for negotiating or benchmarking the price of a medicine.

Countries should consider using external reference pricing as part of an overall strategy, in combination with other methods, for setting the price of a medicine.

In developing an external reference pricing system, countries should define transparent methods and processes to be used.

Countries /payers should select comparator countries to use for ERP based on economic status, pharmaceutical pricing systems in place, the publication of actual versus negotiated or concealed prices, exact comparator products supplied, and similar burden of disease.


Promotion of use of generic medicines Promotion of use of generic medicines

Countries should enable the early market entry of generics through legislative and administrative measures that encourage early submission of regulatory applications, and allow for prompt and effective review.

Countries should use multiple strategies to achieve low priced generics, depending on the system and market. These strategies may include: within-country reference pricing, tendering, and/or lower co-payments.

In order to maximize uptake of generics, countries should implement (and enforce as appropriate) a mix of policies and strategies, including:

– Legislation to allow generic substitution by dispensers; – Legislative structure and incentives for prescribers to prescribe by international

nonproprietary name; – Dispensing fees that encourage use of low price generics; – Regressive margins and incentives for dispensers; and – Consumer and professional education regarding quality and price of generics.


Use of health technology assessment Use of health technology assessment

Countries should use health technology assessment (HTA) as a tool to support reimbursement decision-making as well as price setting/negotiation.

Countries should combine HTA with other policies and strategies, particularly within-country reference pricing (by chemical entity, pharmacological class, or indication).

Countries should consider the following approaches for using HTA: review of applicability and adaptation of reports from other countries; review of reports submitted by pharmaceutical companies; conduct assessments based on local information and local data. The choice of approach depends on technical capacity and local decision-making structures.

Countries could take a stepwise approach to develop legislative and technical capacity to take full advantage of the potential utility of HTA in pharmaceutical price setting.

In establishing the legislative/administrative framework, countries should clearly define the roles and responsibilities of the decision-makers and other stakeholders, and the process of decision-making.

Countries should ensure that HTA processes are transparent and that the assessment reports and decisions should be made publicly available and effectively disseminated to stakeholders.

Countries should collaborate to promote exchange of information and develop common requirements for HTA.


Key principles in implementation:Key principles in implementation:

Countries should use a combination of different pharmaceutical pricing policies that should be selected based on the objective, context and health system.

Countries should make their pricing policies, processes, and decisions transparent.

Pricing policies should have an appropriate legislative framework and governance and administrative structures, supported by technical capacity, and should be regularly reviewed, monitored (including actual prices) and evaluated and amended as necessary.

In promoting the use of affordable medicines, countries should employ a combination of pharmaceutical policies that address both supply and demand issues.

If regulation of pharmaceutical prices is introduced, effective implementation will be required to ensure compliance (e.g. incentives, enforcement, price monitoring system, fines).

Countries should adopt policies to promote the use of quality assured generic medicines in order to increase access and affordability.

Countries should collaborate to promote exchange of information about policies, their impacts, and pharmaceutical prices.


Conclusions and next steps:Conclusions and next steps:

Listing on the web:

http://www.who.int/entity/childmedicines/publications/WHO_GPPP.pdf

Review of the dissemination strategy

Limited distribution hard copy publication

Supporting countries in implementation

Review of impact of the guidelines and collation of evidence

Updating of the document

Date post:	23-Dec-2015
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